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Piedmont Clubtail(Hylogomphus parvidens) by Richard Stickney

Compare with: Spine-crowned ClubtailBanner ClubtailIdentification Tips: Move the cursor over the image, or tap the image if using a mobile device, to reveal ID Tips.Note: these identification tips apply specifically to mature males; features may differ in immature males and in females.

Odd range in NC, probably owing to two separate subspecies being present. The nominate subspecies (Hylogomphus parvidens parvidens) occurs in the western third of the Piedmont and the southern mountains. The Sandhills subspecies (H. parvidens carolinus) occurs in the Sandhills region and in the adjacent Piedmont, with an outlying record from Bladen County. A recent photo from Chatham County and a sight report for Wake County have slightly expanded the range to the northeast. It is not known if the species occurs in the intervening south-central Piedmont, though one would expect that it does.

abundance

Rare to uncommon over the range, though there are records for most counties in the Sandhills. Occurs in rather low densities, with a peak daily count of just 7 individuals.

flight

Early April to late June, rarely to mid-July. Oddly -- perhaps because of the subspecies differences -- the mountain flight period starts about the same time as those downstate, and seemingly ends earlier; in most species, the flight in the mountains should be staggered later in starting and ending dates than those downstate.

habitat

Small or medium creeks, with sandy bottoms and well-vegetated banks.

behavior

References indicate that adults seldom perch on the ground or dirt, but instead typically perch on low vegetation close to the water.

comments

The species is not overly well known in NC, in part because it is essentially absent from the northeastern Piedmont where more biologists live and study odonates. Nonetheless, based on its range in the state, it does not appear to be rare in at least parts of the range. More field work is needed in the southern Piedmont to determine the boundaries of the ranges of the two subspecies and to determine whether there actually is a small hiatus between their ranges. The NC Natural Heritage Program added the species to its Watch List in 2012.